Abia b



(N0 Model.)

A. B; SMITH. MOWING MACHINE FINGER BAR.

No. 441,337. Patented Nov. 25, l890.

Q ainiuvsuroa:

33 mg Z I x ABIA B. SMITH, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TOGEORGE V.

WILLSON, or

SAME PLACE.

MOWlNG-MACHINE FINGER-BAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 441,337, dated November25, 1890. Application filed November 11, 1889. Renewed October 24, 1890.Serial No. 369,168. (No model.)

lo all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, ABIA B. SMITH, of Pittsburg, county of Allegheny,State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Mowing-MachineFinger-Bar, of which the following is a true and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part ofthis specification.

My invention relates to the construction of finger-bars forlmowing andreaping machines; and my object is to provide a finger-bar which canbemade of unusual length without liability to curve, which bars of theordinary construction have, and without requiring an undue amount ofmetal.

My device is particularly intended for use on that class ofmowing-machines in which the finger-bar is balanced from the frame ofthe machine by the action of a spring upon the inner end of the barsuch, for instance, as is shown in the patent of Ephraim Smith, No.233,035, dated October 15, 1880.

My invention will be best understood after an explanation of thedrawings, in which it is illustrated, and the novel features which Idesire to claim in this application are clearly pointed out in theclaims.

Reference being now had to the drawings, which illustrate my inventionFigure 1 is a perspective View of a plate such as I prefer to prepare inthe manufacture of my cutterbars, and from which two cutter-bars aremade by severing the blade on the oblique line .2 a. Fig. 2 is a planview of the same plate severed in the manner above stated into twooutter-bars. Fig. 3 is a cross-section through the two cutter-bars onthe line so a; of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the cuttcr-barhaving, also, an additional strengthening device consisting ofsupplemental or re-enforcing plates secured to the main bar 3 and Fig. 5is a cross-section on the line y y of Fig. 4...

I form my cutter-bars, as is usual, with a gradually-decreasing widthfrom the inner end to the outer end, B being the cutter-bar, G the innerend, and O the outer end thereof. The front of the cutter-bar is formedplain and flat, so as to afford a secure face on which the fingers canbe attached,'as is shown at Z). Back of this face I form one or morecorrugations' b b, &c., running parallel with the front edge of thecutter-bar and Vanishing in the oblique back edge thereof. Preferably aseries of two or more corrugations are formed, as is shown in thedrawings, and the inner one may, if desired, run the Whole length of thebar. The function of these corrugations is to stiffen and strengthen thebar in the part in which such strengthening is most requirednamely, itsinner end-and by the plan shown they gradually run out and vanish towardthe outer end of the bar, where the additional strength provided by themis not required. These bars are conveniently prepared by rolling arectangular plate of the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 andmarked A, thecorrugations I) being formed through the center of this plate and theplate then cut by an oblique line 2 2, so as to form two cutter-bars ofthe kind desired.

In order to still further re -enforce and to the cutter-bar proper oneor moresupplemental re-enforcing plates of similar crosssection runningfrom its inner endtoward (but not to) its outer end. Preferably I usetwo sets of re-enforcing plates, (marked D and D,) the one D running toa point beyond the center of the bar, preferably about two-thirds of itslength, and the other D secured to this plate and running to a pointinside of the center of the bar, preferably about one-third of itslength. In this way I am enabled to use a lighter cutter-bar proper andyet give it the requisite strength by means of the re-enforcing platessituated at the parts where it is ex posed to the greatest strain.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A mowing-machine finger-bar ofgradually-increasing width from outer to inner end, having a plain flatfront face to hold the fingers and one or more corrugations in its rearformed parallel to its front edge and vanishing in the oblique line ofits back.

2. A mowing-machine fingerbar of gradually-increasing width from outerto inner end, having a plain flat front face to hold the fingers, aseries of corrugations in its rear strengthen the bar at its inner end,I secure formed parallel to its front edge and vanishing in the obliqueline of its back, and having one or more re-enforcing plates of similarcross-section secured to and beneath it, so as to extend from its innerend toward (but not to) its outer end.

3. A mowing-machine finger-bar of gradually-increasing width from outerto inner end, having a plain flat front face to hold the fingers, aseries of corrugations in its rear formed parallel to its front edge andVanishing in the oblique line of its back, and having a re-enforcingplate of similar cross-section extending beneath it from its inner endbeyond its center, and a second similar re-enforcing plate secured tothe first and extending to a point on the inner side of the center.

ABIA B. SMITH.

NVitnesses:

J NO. W. HERRoN, C. O. BALDREDGE.

